DETECTION OF SMALL QUANTITIES OF DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA BY ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE OF SUBSTITUTED ALDEHYDE MODIFIED POLYDEOXYNUCLEOTIDE-ETHIDIUMBROMIDE COMPLEXES
S. Premaratne et al., DETECTION OF SMALL QUANTITIES OF DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA BY ENHANCED FLUORESCENCE OF SUBSTITUTED ALDEHYDE MODIFIED POLYDEOXYNUCLEOTIDE-ETHIDIUMBROMIDE COMPLEXES, Biochimica et biophysica acta, N. Gene structure and expression, 1219(2), 1994, pp. 422-424
A method for the detection of small amounts of double stranded DNA by
a simple incubation procedure involving the reaction of the nucleotide
bases in DNA with chloroacetaldehyde is described. Following incubati
on, the presence of DNA may be visualized by the orange fluorescence e
mitted when ethidium bromide (EtBr) is added. Alternatively, the aldeh
yde/DNA mixture may be separated by agarose,gel electrophoresis and in
dividual double stranded DNA visualized by exposing the gel to ethidiu
m bromide and observing the orange ultraviolet light induced fluoresce
nce of the aldehyde modified double stranded ethidium bromide complex
(Waring, M.J. (1965) J. Mel. Biol. 13, 269-282). At least a 20-fold in
crease in the detection of double stranded DNA is possible by this pro
cedure. An important aspect of this method is that the visualization o
f single stranded DNA is not enhanced.